HONOLULU, Hawaii – Trailing 4-2 the University of Nevada (8-9) baseball team rallied for a 7-4 victory in the first game of a three-game nonconference series at Hawai`i (7-10) on Friday night. Winners of two in a row the Wolf Pack improved to 8-9 while the Rainbow Warriors dropped to 7-10.

UH led 4-2 after seven innings but the Pack exploded for five runs on four hits in the top of the eighth inning to take control 7-4. With the bases loaded pinch hitter Bryce Barger delivered a sacrifice fly and second baseman Justin Bridgman followed with an RBI single to tie the game at four. First baseman Austin Byler broke the tie with a bases clearing triple to put the Pack on top by what would be the final score of 7-4.

Reliever Adam Whitt (4) came out of the bullpen to close out the game allowing just one hit and struck out three in two innings of work to earn his fourth save of the season. Freshman Evan McMahan got his first win for the Pack tossing 1.1 innings of shutout relief. Andrew Jones (0-1) suffered the loss giving up three runs in 1.1 innings on the mound.

The Rainbow Warriors scored twice in the bottom of the third to take the early 2-0 lead but Nevada tied it with two in the top of the fourth on right fielder TJ Freidl’s RBI single. A UH home run by catcher Trevor Podratz in the bottom of the fourth inning made it 3-2 and Podratz was hit by pitch with the bases loaded in the fifth to push the advantage to 4-2 where it remained until the Pack’s eighth inning rally.

Designated hitter Trenton Brooks (2-for-4,R), Byler (2-for-5,3RBI) and catcher Jordan Devencenzi (2-for-4,2R) each had two this for the Wolf Pack. Byler drove in three runs and Freidl two.

Matt Flores (3-for-4,2RBI) collected three hits and drove in a pair for UH. Podratz also drove in two runs for the Rainbow Warriors.

Game two of the series is scheduled for 9:35 p.m. PT on Saturday night. Listen to the game on 1060 AM with Don Marchand calling the action. A free video stream is available at www.OCSports.tv.